Saudi women protected from laborious jobs

JEDDAH: Labor Minister Adel Fakeih listed over 20 jobs that women would not be employed in, while highlighting on Monday the need for other departments to assist and promote womens employment.

According to international standards, Saudi women were prevented from working in these jobs that stress their unsuitability to undertake certain jobs for physical reason, Fakeih said at a press conference here.

The woman may be pregnant or breast feeding, so she will not be in a position to take up tough jobs, he added.

The ministry, however, said while women are prevented from working in these positions, they are allowed to own or manage businesses related to these fields of work.

Fakeih, while emphasizing his ministrys sole role in enforcing rules and regulations concerning the employment of Saudi women in the private sector, said: The ministry, however, does not want to overrule other bodies in supervising markets such as the security organizations and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Fakeih stressed the role of other government organs in empowering women. He asked other government departments who have feedback concerning the employment of women in the private sector to inform the ministry immediately. We are keen to listen to their feedback.

Fakeih pointed out that new regulations concerning the employment of women in the private sector would be complemented by regulations concerning the Saudization of women jobs to be issued soon by the Interior Ministry, which will also appoint special committees to carry out this task.

List of jobs women would not be employed in:

1. Mines and quarries to extricate minerals or stones.
2. Sewage work, installation of gas pipelines or distribution of oil and its derivatives.
3. Digging, laying concrete or others.
4. Construction work, repair and painting, those involving climbing ladders.
5. Generating, transporting or transforming energy.
6. Manufacturing of explosives.
7. Welding.
8. Auto or Aluminium workshops.
9. Fertilizer warehouse.
10. Working in the rubber industry for making tires.
11. Loading/unloading of goods.
12. Making coal from fossils.
13. Silvering of mirrors using mercury.
14. Processing of ashes containing lead or taking silver out of copper.
15. Work in the copper industry or with lead complexes containing more than 10 percent of lead.
16. Blending or pasting materials used in making or fixing electric batteries.
17. Cleaning of workshops.
18. Repairing or cleaning machines while they are on.
19. Glass melting.
20. Asphalt industry.
21. Tanneries.
22. Furnaces to melt or refine metals.